News analysis

Turmoil in Tunisia

Turmoil in Tunis

THE protests in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, have been getting worse. Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, the president, has dissolved his government and called for legislative elections to be held within six months. He announced on Thursday evening that he would stand down as president in 2014 but protesters are calling for him to resign immediately. A state of emergency has been declared, under which gatherings of three or more people are banned, along with a nationwide curfew. The government has warned people that arms will be used by the security forces if people do not stop when ordered to do so by the police. The United Nations has said it will investigate reports that more than 60 people have already been shot by the security forces over the past week.

We will have more from our correspondents as the situation develops but in the mean time, you can read our piece in this week's print edition which wonders whether Mr Ben Ali will be able to save his own skin, faced with such fierce protests.

Update: Mr Ben Ali has stood down as president and apparently left the country. The prime minister has announced that he is taking charge in Mr Ben Ali's absence. Word from Tunis is that there are great celebrations in the streets at the coup. More to come later.

After 23 years of corruption under his rule, the Tunisians have had enough Of Ben Ali. His offer to quit the office of the president in 2014 is just a bandage to stop the bleeding on the streets, and, honestly, a ruse to cling on to power. The anti-regime boiling in Tunisia is close to reaching the level of the anti-Shah turmoil in Iran before the 1979 Revolution.

But the question any person with even the minimum moral and ethical disposition should ask is this: "Where is the U.S. and the European outrage for
the slaughter and bone breaking of Tunisian protesters by the police of a pro-Western despotic regime?" If the Tunisian protests were taking place in Syria,
the U.S. and its European partners would have been blasting the Syrian [anti-Western] regime as "murderous, despotic," and they would have called an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council to condemn it! But Tunisia's despot Ben Ali is their clown, and he knows that he can bloody any opponent with impunity.

It is obvious that the West worries that if they help the Tunisians to oust Ben Ali, it may have a domino effect which may embolden other Arabs under the pro-Western despotic regimes to do the same, and rise to overthrow their autocrats. And this is the epitome of hypocrisy! We are still fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan under the pretext to give the Iraqis and the Afghans democracy. How about giving democracy to those Arab who are trampled by despots who have only one qualification: "They are our puppets!"

During the Cold War years, the Western propaganda was chugging daily with radio programs to the communist audiences in Eastern Europe this motto: "Give me liberty, or give me death!" Now the Tunisians cry for "liberty," but they are given "death" by Ben Ali. And the West just looks the other way! Shame on us - and our democratic tinted hypocrisy! Nikos Retsos, retired professor

This spreading mayhem was triggered by a young travelling storekeeper that, after the police seized its products on December 17, immolated himself amid the street in Sidi Bouzib. This sacrifice was mourned nationally and grieved an entire population, deeply affected by this plucky man setting him ablaze.

The days after, this act of faith became a new outlet for national anger and resent towards a rising cost of living, a high rate of unemployment, and more generally, a brewing social discontent.

Youth took to the streets in response of this mounting anger and played havoc everywhere, clashing violently with the security forces, rapidly overwhelmed by the protests scope.
Protesters rampaged through Sidi Bouzib at first and subsequent showdowns with anti-riots squads turned awry, killing dozens. Outpourings of support propagated nationwide. The movement gained momentum and, facing crackdowns and lashings routinely commited by the police, protesters' resent escalated as to oust the incumbent president Ben Ali, reigning for as long as 23 years.

The say president's first move was to dismiss the government and call for legislative election, pledging simultaneously he will step down by 2014.

Today, though, he eventually bent under the pressure of the street, trying to bandage the overflowing blooding on Tunisia. He quited, unbowed but vanquished, seeking asylum elsewhere.

This vast turmoil that spread chaos in the country reveals a latent anger hidden profoundly into the Tunisians' heart. The immolation of a modest shopkeeper stirred the hornest nest so mightily that general disorder and wholesale shootings jarred the government in its core.
This ripple effect might just reel the Tunisian institutions but restore a semblance of calm. Getting rid of Ben Ali may benefit the people rather than destabilizing it even more. The coming upheavals will draw a new political line to reorganize the Tunisian society in order to start upon new basis altogether.

@'Jbay
I'm sorry but the US army intervene abroad not only to sort out regional messes or cope with conflicts. When the US army was marshalled and sent to Irak, the major objectives were first to eliminitate Saddam Hussein and set up a democratic power instead, secondly to find alleged nukes in the region. The first goal was duly fulfilled but unfortunately, the second one remains a hazy controversy over the alleged existence of Iraki nukes. The Bush administration failed to address this issue and still a vast pall shrouds the topic of Iraki nuclear weapons. however, the US army set in not only to instate a legitimate government and ensure peace, but also to provide the homeland with large quantities of underground oil awaited to be exploited. As the north american oil deposits are
due to run low by 2050, the excuse of war fitted perfectly with the american needs. Keeping its image of global cop, it could in parallel assure a steady supplying of oil. The War in Irak is a dull pretence to conceal more prosaic
appetit to salivating an economic windfall. The bargain was even bigger that the US bolstered in the mean time the
global fight against terrorism in the Middle East. To downplay the economic aspect, the US officials rather say that
the war in Afghanistan for instance is as legitimate as any conflict America has had taken part through its history

Perhaps a better way to phrase jbay's question is this:
Which option do you believe the United States or the Europeans should take -- not just in regards to Tunisia, but anywhere in the world?

1) denounce the behavior of a less than perfect (or tyrannical) government and support for those fighting against it? And thus allow that government to wrap itself in a cloak of nationalism while painting the opposition as tools of foreigners.
2) let events play out as they will? And be raked over the coals for not supporting the protesters.
3) intervene economically or even militarily against tyrannical regimes? And get denounced, both by the government and by big chunks of the rest of the world, for interfering in others' domestic affairs which are none of our business.

Viewed from here, it looks like every option will guarantee that someone is furious. But which would you recommend as the default approach? Or, recognizing that every situation is different, what criteria do you propose we use to decide what to do in various cases?

Very interesting development. Seems like the first time popular demonstrations have impacted an Arab government in a bit of a long time (thinking maybe Lebanon a few years ago).

Some questions:
How long will this government last (Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi)?
could violence worsen (if certain segments push more aggresively their agendas or to seek power, or if the government resists being a caretaker governement)
What kind of government or system may ultimately become implemented in the future (could this get hijacked like how the Iranian revolution supposedly got hijacked by Khomeini)?

Well, I hope for the best for the people of Tunisia. I wonder if this could set an example for other Arab countries?

So is it our responsibility to protect the entire world or is it not? You see I'm getting more and more confused as an American pertaining to what our responsibility is? Have you ever heard the phrase: "damned if you do, damned if you don't?"

Don't confuse not doing anything with not caring. We/I care very much but every time we do something the conspiracy theorist come out of the wood works like cockroaches. I for one am tired of it and willing to ask our politicians to let the world fix their own messes.

We've done that before and we know what the result was but what other choice do we have? You're going to demonize us no matter what we do. Given those two options what would your choice be? Demonization for trying to help or demonization for stepping aside?

The Tunisian President did a good job of organizing his country. He also kept the religious fanatics from bringing terrorism.

I am Tunisian-Algerian and grew up in the U.S. My Father is Arab and my Mom is American. My Father and I had many "discussions" about the government in both Tunisia and Algeria. I argued that Bin-Ali was not a president but rather a dictator. He sees the "presidents" as strong and being good for their countries. He is right. They were good when the countries were unorganized and in disarray. Once this orrganization is achieved, these leaders must be willing to step away and secure a peaceful transition.

That is why countries like the U.S. were lucky. They had leaders like George Washington who knew their countries needed them and once that need was over they walked away.

The arab world has always had dictators. Some benevolent and some not. Hopefully this transition is a succesful one and an organic one. One that doesn't have to be initiated by an outside army. Hopefully the violence is small and Tunisians realize that their country is maturing. Freedom is tough.

Good!!! High time Ben Ali and his family left the country. Is it theirs? Why are they and their friends so filthy rich wilst others cannot even cover their basi needs? Politicians and dictators of the world, take note.

Any of the options you state would be a good one, on the condition that it is applied equally to all countries.
The U.S. (and EU) can not criticize the Syrian regime for being a dictatorship, while supporting the Tunisian or Egyptian and even Saudi one.

Just apply the same standards in all countries, and do not pretend to be fight for some high morals

OK, the Tunisians have overthrown a dictator. Good for them, but now come the hard part. What will they put in place of the dictatorship? How will power be distributed? Will there be a mechanism for it changing hands peacefully and democratically?

The true and lasting miracle of America's founding was not the Revolutionary War, it was the Constitutional Convention.

I am just amazed at the amount of coverage media has dedicated to the Tuscon shooting vs. the much more monumental Tunisian protests, which is changing the face of a nation as we speak. I don't blame the American media for allocating a great deal of time to analyze their own politics in the face of tragedy, but shame on the media of other countries who are just still blindly following the lead of the American news cycle. I'm looking at you, Britain, and of course, Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc. are also guilty. Seriously, stop talking about the Tuscon shooting. It's quite sad but it is nowhere NEAR the sheer magnitude of what is happening in a distant corner of the Mediterranean. Shame.

America is often quite parochial, and doesn't always have every country on its radar scope.

Heck, Iran was a key ally for us in the Persian gulf in the 70s and we blind sided by the popular uprising there, although the Shah was temporarily knocked out of power in the 1950s, and faced internal dissent in the 1960/70s.

Interestingly, didn't Hilary Clinton give lip service at least to reform the other day?

Congratulations for all Tunisians and their courage !
The tyrant has gone.
Might the wiseness prevails and Tunisians find a way to organize a peaceful and democratic country and be an example for the whole arab world.
Tunisians bear now the responsability to show to the world that arab countries can achieve freedom and democracy.
I have a small piece of advice for the new ruler: to dedicate the main square to the guy who set himself ablaze and triggered the protests. I also propose a new holiday for 14 January be the day of democracy.